(Photo by Richard F. Hope)

Two Rivers Landing (30 Centre Square)

Modern commercial structure in several parts, including a glass and steel entry at the SW corner of Centre Square – roughly where the Easton Town Hall was located in the 19th Century – linked to a multi-story brick building along Northampton Street, one with modern top story and the other with ornate Italianate roof cornice. This brick building incorporates what were once the Orr’s and Farr’s stores during Easton’s shopping heyday of the 20th Century, which were (respectively) successors to Peter Miller’s house and the Flemming Building of earlier eras.

The real estate parcel consists of the eastern portions of Original Town Lot Nos. 131-33, plus all of Original Town Lot No.130, as the original town Lots were designated when surveyed by William Parsons for the founding of Easton in 1752. Lot Nos. 131-33 made up the SW face of Centre Square, extending back from the Square to the alley now known as Bank Street. The larger Lot No.130 lay in the corner of what are now Bank and Pine Streets, with one corner touching the SW corner of the Square.1

Lot Nos.130 and 131

The eastern portion of Lot No.130 was included with the adjacent Lot No.129 along the southern face of Centre Square (where the Jones Building is now located at 24

1 Compare A.D. Chidsey, Jr., The Penn Patents in the Forks of the Delaware Plan of Easton, Map 2 (Vol. II of Publications of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 1937) with Northampton County Tax Records map, www.ncpub.org.

Centre Square) and several other Easton properties, and conveyed by the Penns to Jacob Sickman in 1789 for a previous metal (“in Specie”) payment of £ 76, plus an annual rental fee of “one Barley Corn” due on 1 March of each year “if Demanded”.2

Sickman, a cordwainer [shoemaker] by trade,3 promptly sold the one-and-a-half-Lot parcel to William Craig in 1790 for £ 140 in paper money.4 Craig had already purchased title to Lot No.128, next door.5 Coming from Northampton County’s Irish Settlement, Craig had originally presented the petition to the Pennsylvania Assembly requesting the creation Northampton County.6 He was granted the first tavern/inn license in the new county.7 Along with Easton founder William Parsons, Craig had been one of the county’s nine first court justices in 1752; he was elected as the county’s first sheriff, and held the important court position of Prothonotary in 1788-95 and 1797-98.8 “He might be called the founder of what has become known as ‘The Court House Gang’, being the county’s first perpetual office holder.”9

At some point, William Craig left Easton.10 In 1797, he transferred properties to John Craig, in a hastily drawn deed that is unclear exactly what properties it covered.11 In fact, it appears that William and John Craig owed money all over town, including a £ 300 mortgage bond owed to John Arndt,12 another

3 Id. 4 Deed, Jacob (Elizabeth) Sickman to William Craig, F1 673 (15 Apr. 1790). 5 Deed, John Penn the Younger and John Penn the Elder to William Craig, E1 550 (27

Feb. 1789); see A.D. Chidsey, The Penn Patents in the Forks of the Delaware Map 2, Lot No.128 (Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society, 1937).

6 A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 18, 116 (Vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940).

7 William J. Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car 63 (Express Printing Co. and Harmony Press, 1911/1912, reprinted 1984); accord, E. Gordon Alderfer, Northampton Heritage 104 (State College: Penns Valley Publishers, Inc. 1953); Lou Ferrone, “??Who and What in Easton?? Saloon Keeper – Attorney – Judge All in One Day”, THE IRREGULAR, April 2008, p.4 (partner was named William Anderson, not John Anderson, apparently based on text of the original license); James A. Wright, Colonial Taverns of Northampton County, Pennsylvania 6-7 (1993) (places Craig’s hotel on the SE corner of the Square).

8 Rev. John C. Clyde, Genealogies, Necrology and Reminiscences of the “Irish Settlement” 239 (self-published 1879); see also A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 20 (Vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940)(first Sheriff).

9 A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 18, 116 (Vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940).

For additional information on William Craig, see www.WalkingEaston.com entry for the Alpha Building (Lot No.128) at 1 South 3rd Street.

2 Deed, John Penn the Younger and John Penn the Elder to Jacob Sickman, G1 63 (20 Oct. 1789)(eastern part of Lot No.130); see A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 234-35, 260 (vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940)(Building No.55); A.D. Chidsey, Jr., The Penn Patents in the Forks of the Delaware Plan of Easton, Map 2 (Vol. II of Publications of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 1937).

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£60 owed to Samuel Moore (acting as trustee for Minne Gulick), and (along with others) additional money “for erecting a Bridge over the River Delaware”13 [i.e. the unfinished Palmer Bridge, that would not be completed and opened until 1806.14] William Craig’s property transfer to John did not protect the properties from seizure to pay these debts. In 1799, Northampton County Sheriff Henry Spering (acting in his official capacity on Court instructions) seized Craig’s Lot No.128, as well as the corner parcel composed of Lot No.129 and his half of Lot No.130, and sold them to George Frederick Wagener for £ 915. Two months later, Sheriff Spering confirmed the transaction back to court, in a Sheriff’s Deed dated 25 March.15 The very next day (26 March), Wagner resold these properties back to Sheriff Spering personally, for the very same £ 915 sale price,16 making it clear that the Sheriff’s involvement in the transaction was entirely self-interested! Spering held the property until he died in 1823,17 after which the administrator of his estate sold the one-and-a-half corner parcel in Centre Square for $1,820 to Peter Miller,18 Easton’s “merchant prince”19 (who will receive further discussion below).

This property was “finally turned into a market-house; then a coal-yard under the same roof; then changed to an opera house still under the same roof; and this same old roof” in approximately 1912 sheltered a billiard hall and dining room.20

A few months after the property sale to Sickman, the Penn Family formally sold an L-shaped parcel made up of the western part of Lot Not.130 (at the corner with what is now Pine and Bank Streets), plus Lot No.131 facing Centre Square, to hatter John Simon. He occupied it for many years.21

This L-shaped parcel had suffered a disjointed early history: it had apparently been occupied originally by John Horn, who (without benefit of official deed) had built a “small Log House” on it. Horn died, leaving a widow (Gertrude) and four children. Gertrude remarried – to John Simon, who proceeded to make things right with the Penn Family in 1789. In 1813, John Horn’s son, Abraham Horn, sold whatever rights he might have had to the Log House and the L-shaped parcel to John Simon’s son, Michael Simon.22

At all events, in the 1820s this Simon land was sold by Michael Simon to Peter Miller in three transactions.23

20 William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 12 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984). Surprisingly, Heller does not mention the Police Station of 40 years before, but his remarks could refer to the long, large building marked “Saml Yohe” on the 1874 Atlas, and listed in the 1873 City Directory to Yohe & Depew, brokers, at 104 Centre Square. Compare D.G. Beers, Atlas of Northampton County Pennsylvania, Plan of Easton (A. Pomeroy & Co. 1874) with Jeremiah H. Lant, The Northampton County Directory for 1873 132 (1873).

22 Deed, Abraham (Susanna) Horn to Michael Simon, A4 75 (14 July 1813)(and recitals). 23 Deed, Michael (Mary) Simon to Peter Miller, F4 43 (1 July 1820)(sale price $1800 for

NW section of Lot No.131, measuring 80’ X 48’ adjoining Peter Miller’s property); Deed, Michael (Mary) Simon to Peter Miller, F4 44 (3 July 1820)(adding land underneath a 1’ overhang

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After Peter Miller died, his nephew (of the same name) inherited the property in 1847. [Of the Peter Millers, more later in this article!] Nephew Peter Miller allocated this L-shaped property, as well as many others, to his lawyers as part of their legal fees, and they sold it to the Borough of Easton in 1849.24 Part of this land, specifically Lot No.131, then became the “Town Hall” by 186825 and Easton’s Police Station by 1874.26 The City finally sold this building in 1904 to the three Kuebler Brothers27 who were partners in the Kuebler Brewery on South Delaware Avenue.28

Nungesser’s Hotel

The adjacent Lot Nos.132 and 133 along Centre Square, stretching along the SW face of the Square to Northampton Street, became the location of one of the most important businesses in early Easton (aside from the ferry): Nungesser’s Hotel. Frederick Nungesser (also spelled Nungessor) built a house from which he ran a general store and also sold liquor (i.e. ran a tavern or hotel) on property facing Centre Square.29 He applied for a license to sell liquor in 1758,30 and again obtained licenses to sell liquor in 1759 and 1760 (when his name was spelled “Nuncaster”),31 and finally obtained a patent from the Penn Family for Lot No.132 (in the corner of the Square) in 1765, for a promised payment of 7 shillings in yearly ground rent.32 In 1773, Nungesser retired as a merchant to become a tavern keeper.33 He apparently built a stable on the adjoining land that faces Northampton Street34 – Lot No.133 – but Frederick’s widow, Christina, only obtained formal title to that land from the Penn Family in 1789.35

An early picture of Northampton Street appears to show Frederick Nungesser’s stable on Northampton Street (between Centre Square and the alley that became Bank Street), with the upper gable of Nungesser’s Hotel building on Centre Square peeking over the stable from behind. (Mr. Heller’s No.4 identifier is placed slightly too far to the right.36) The visible upper portion of the hotel building shows an exposed half-timber construction that was out of favor with the English at this time, but was still very typical of German communities in Pennsylvania.37

of the “Frame Building” on the property sold to Peter Miller); Deed, Michael (Mary) Simon to Peter Miller, H4 370 (22 Mar. 1824)(sale price $3,000 for the remainder of Lot No.131, plus the western part of Lot No.130).

36 See A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 234-35, 258 (vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940)(Building No.50). This clearly shows the hotel as facing Centre Square, and only the stable and outbuildings as being located on the part of the property facing Northampton Street.

William J. Heller’s engraving caption in Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car plate facing p.10 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984), appears to locate Nungesser’s Hotel on Northampton Street, on the West side of Bank Street. In fact, the place where Heller’s caption number is located could refer, not to the Northampton Street building that appears over it, but instead to the roof and gable appearing behind in the background, which actually did belong to the Nungesser Hotel building facing Centre Square. Because of this error, Heller apparently did attempt to insert Nungesser’s Hotel onto Northampton Street, wrongfully locating it just West of Bank Street where Rinker’s Hotel building actually stood, and wrongfully believing that the next building over was Rinker’s. Once this mistake is corrected, the

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buildings fall into line in accordance with Chidsey and the deeds. 37 Liam Riordan, Many Identities, One Nation 31 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania

Press 2007). The picture appears facing page 15 as Fig.11. 10 See Deed, Deed, Henry Spering, Sheriff, for William Craig, to George F. Wagener, G2

237 (10 Jan. 1799)(recital that William Craig was “late of Your County”). 11 Deed, William Craig to John Craig, E5 289 (2 Feb. 1797)(sale price £ 100). 12 Mortgage, William Craig to John Arndt, G1 104 (4 July 1789)(mortgage on Lot No.128

for debt of £ 150, with penal bond of £ 300 for nonpayment). 13 See Deed, Henry Spering, Sheriff, for William Craig, to George F. Wagener, G2 237 (10

Jan. 1799)(recitals; Lot No.128); Deed, Henry Spering, Sheriff, for John Craig, to George F. Wagener, Sheriff A2 41 (25 Mar. 1799).

14 A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 53 (Vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940).

15 Deed, Henry Spering, Sheriff, for John Craig, to George F. Wagener, Sheriff A2 41 (25 Mar. 1799)(Lot No.128, Lot No.129 and half of Lot No.130); see also Deed, Henry Spering, Sheriff, for William Craig, to George F. Wagener, G2 237 (10 Jan. 1799)(Lot No.128, apparently consistent with the actual public sale date).

In 1798, John Craig had sold two other lots at the NE corner of Ferry and Fermor (now South 3rd) Streets to Henry Spering for £ 100. Deed, John Craig to Henry Spering, E5 289 (17 Nov. 1798).

16 Deed, George F. (Catharine) Wagener to Henry Spering, G2 239 (26 Mar. 1799)(sale price £ 915 for Lot Nos.128, 129 and eastern half of Lot No.130).

17 See Will, Estate of Henry Spering, File No.3524 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court 1823).

18 Deed, Jacob Weygandt Jun., Administrator of the Estate of Henry Spering, to Peter Miller, A5 342 (25 Feb. 1825).

19 Floyd S. Bixler, The History with Reminiscences of the Early Taverns and Inns of Easton, 12 (Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 1931)(Paper Read before the Northampton County Historical Society at the St. Crispin Anniversary Dinner at the Lafayette Hotel on 25 Oct. 1930).

21 Deed, John Penn the Younger and John Penn the Elder to John Simon, H1 317 (9 Nov. 1789)(sale price £56 14 shillings “in Specie” for original town Lot No.131 next to Christina Nungesser, plus western part of Lot No.130; recital that eastern part of Lot No.130 to be conveveyed to Jacob Sickman; plus an out lot); see A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 234-35, 260 (vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940)(Building No.55); A.D. Chidsey, Jr., The Penn Patents in the Forks of the Delaware Plan of Easton, Map 2 (Vol. II of Publications of the Northampton County

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Picture c.1798, with caption by William J. Heller.38

Frederick Nungesser was the great-grandfather of Easton lawyer Andrew Reeder,39 who achieved fame (or notoriety) when he was appointed the first Territorial Governor of Kansas in 1854. A year later, he barely escaped the territory with his life.40

By 1773, Frederick Nungesser was the second most important merchant in Easton (after Meyer Hart).41 Nungesser’s death in 1774,42 apparently without a will,43 resulted in share interests of his property being passed to his wife and children.44 His Widow continued to run the tavern/hotel after his death (then known as the Widow Nungesser’s

Historical and Genealogical Society 1937). 24 See Deed, James M. (Eliza M.) Porter and Matthew Hale (Mary E.) Jones to the

Corporation of the Borough of Easton, B8 21 (23 Nov. 1849)($3,000 for a 48’ wide strip of property on the western side of the “Public Square”, beginning 80’ South of Northampton Street and running 160’ to Pine Alley – now part of the Two Rivers Landing property); see also Deed, Peter (Elizabeth) Miller (of Ohio) and Samuel (Mary) Wilhelm to James M. Porter and Matthew Hale Jones, B8 1 (1 Nov. 1849)(tract No.17 of the attached Schedule granted to the two lawyers).

25 See Will of Christian Flemming, File No. 8346, Will Book 8 232 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court signed 2 May 1868, proven 10 Aug. 1869)(¶ “Fifth” refers to the brick building at the corner of Northampton St. & Centre Square containing a “Butcher Shop next the Town Hall”).

26 Compare D.G. Beers, Atlas of Northampton County Pennsylvania, Plan of Easton (A. Pomeroy & Co. 1874) with A.D. Chidsey, Jr., The Penn Patents in the Forks of the Delaware Plan of Easton, Map 2 (Vol. II of Publications of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 1937)(original town Lot No.131); see also Rev. Uzal W. Condit, The History of Easton, Penn’a 474 (George W. West 1885 / 1889).

27 Deed, City of Easton to William J. Kuebler, Charles E. Kuebler, and Frank A. Kuebler, partners, D33 263 (15 Jan. 1904)(sale price $18,750 for rectangle measuring 22’ X 48’ beginning 80’ from the corner of Centre Square with Northampton Street).

28 See, e.g., Deed, Annie M. Hayden, Executrix of the Will of Howard A. Hayden, to William J. Kuebler, et al., Partners of Willibald Kuebler’s Sons, G33 193 (7 Apr. 1904)(regarding the sale of the hotel at 100 North 3rd Street). See generally Jan Corwin, “Breweries Flourished in Old ‘Wild City’ Easton”, THE EXPRESS, Sunday, 28 Aug. 1983, p.D-1, at D-4.

29 A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 234-35, 258 (vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940)(Building No.50); accord, James A. Wright, Colonial Taverns of Northampton County, Pennsylvania 8-9 and map reference 6 (1993); see Rev. Uzal W. Condit, The History of Easton, Penn’a 164 (George W. West 1885 / 1889)(“On the north of, and close to the present Police Headquarters, stood a hotel kept by a Mr. Erb, and its sheds and other outbuildings extended from the corner of Northampton street up to near Bank Street. Of its real history, however, but little could be learned.”); see also Deed, Christina Nungesser, et al., to John Shnyder, F2 224 (8 Feb. 1800)(Christina Nungesser identified as the widow of Frederick Nungesser, Innkeeper; does not identify which direction the building faced).

William Heller identifies Nungesser’s “Hotel” in his caption to the early picture of Northampton Street, reproduced below, but his identifying mark is slightly misplaced to the right (West). This misplacement makes it appear as if Nungesser’s Hotel is the building located actually on Northampton Street, and West of Bank Alley – which is inconsistent with Heller’s text at 12 (which states that Nungesser’s hotel faced the Square), as well as the deed record of the Nungesser Family’s holdings, and with other sources identifying the Northampton Street building as John Rinker’s Hotel. Heller’s slight misplacement, in turn, caused Leonard Buscemi to misidentify the

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Hotel), and in 1777 the Revolutionary Committee of Observation and Inspection met here.45 Frederick Nungesser’s oldest son, George, used this hotel for his business later on.46 It was sold to Adam Yohe (Jr.) in 1795, who re-opened the hotel,47 but the Yohe estate lost the property in a Sheriff’s sale four years later48 and the hotel was converted to “other uses”. The land to the South all the way to Pine Street had apparently been used by the Nungesser Hotel as a hotel yard.49

Col. Sidman’s Store

location of Nungesser’s Hotel in a blow-up of a portion of that 1800 picture. See William J. Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car plate facing p.10 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984); Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., The Easton – Phillipsburg 1999 Calendar unnumbered p.21 (Buscemi Enterprises 1998).

This placement error then caused both Mr. Heller and Mr. Buscemi to displace Rinker’s Hotel one building to the West, failing to put it on the West side of Bank Alley. This is also incorrect. See separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for William Laubach & Sons Department Store Building, 322-36 Northampton Street.

Contra, Rev. Uzal W. Condit, The History of Easton, Penn’a 162-63 (George W. West 1885 / 1889). Rev. Condit maintains that Frederick Nungesser’s Hotel was the predecessor to the Bull’s Head. Other authorities place Frederick Nungesser’s building in the SW corner of Centre Square. See separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for 30 Centre Square, and sources cited therein. Rev. Condit’s confusion was apparently caused by the fact that Peter Nungesser (Nungessor) at a later time (presumably in the 19th Century) operated the Bulls Head Tavern, which then became known as Peter Nungessor’s Hotel. See Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., The Easton – Phillipsburg 1999 Calendar unnumbered p.3 (Buscemi Enterprises 1998).

30 Petition of Freedarich Nungesser (19 Sept. 1758), original in Criminal Docket Box #1, file for 1758, copy available in Northampton County Achives, Box labeled “Photostatic Copies of Tavern Licenses Found in Criminal Section (Criminal dockets) 1753 – 1784” (reviewed 21 Dec. 2011).

31 Rev. Uzal W. Condit, The History of Easton, Penn’a 163 (George W. West 1885 / 1889)(specifically describing the 1760 license document “lying before him”, and also specifically noting that the 1759 license was in possession of Nungesser’s great-great-grandson, Hon. Howard J. Reeder, and was “justly prized as a relic”); see also Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., The Easton – Phillipsburg 1999 Calendar unnumbered p.21 (Buscemi Enterprises 1998)(Frederick Nungesser granted a liquor license “in the early 1770s”).

A copy of the application of “Freedarich Nungesser” dated 17 June 1760 for a continued liquor license is available in the Northampton County Achives, Box labeled “Photostatic Copies of Tavern Licenses Found in Criminal Section (Criminal dockets) 1753 – 1784” (reviewed 21 Dec. 2011).

32 Patent, Tomas Penn and Richard Penn to Frederick Nungesser, Patent Book A18 390 (8 Feb. 1765), as cited in Deed, Isaac (Elizabeth) Sidman to Peter Miller, H2 437 (30 Nov. 1802); Deed, Christina Nungesser, et al., to John Shnyder, F2 224 (8 Feb. 1800); accord, Chidsey, The Penn Patents, supra; see also Release of Annual Rent, John Penn and William (Juliana Catharine) Penn to John Green, B4 193 (7 Jan. 1815)(recital that deed to Frederick Nungesser was at Patent Book A18 290).

See also Northampton County Warrant N9 issued to Frederick Nuncaster, Patent Book A18 390 (7 Feb. 1765), indexed online for Northampton County p.129 Warrant No.9, www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-88WarrantRegisters/NorthamptonPages/

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The corner portion of the property facing Northampton Street was occupied by Frederick Nungesser’s daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Col. Isaac Sidman. They built a stone store, and Sidman became “the leading merchant in the town.” He “was instrumental in having the first sidewalk laid in the town . . . in front of his property.”50

Isaac Sidman was originally from Philadelphia, but had become the clerk to Johan David Boehringer, a shoemaker and merchant who had left the Moravian Economy in Bethlehem and ultimately opened a business in Easton using the Moravian church building on South Third Street, near the corner at Ferry Street. When Boehringer lost that property through a Sheriff’s sale in

Northampton129.pdf, survey copied at Survey Book C179 75 (7 Feb. 1765). Note that the text written under the survey indicates a year of 1768, but the return and the index both state 1765.

33 Joshua Trachtenberg, Consider the Years, The Story of the Jewish Community of Easton 1752 – 1942 68 (Centennial Committee of Temple Brith Sholom 1944).

34 A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 258 (vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940)(Building No.50).

35 Deed, John Penn the Younger and John Penn the Elder to Christina Nungesser, B2 558 (22 Oct. 1789)(sale price £25 “in Specie” for Lot No.133 measuring 40’ X 120’); accord, Chidsey, The Penn Patents, supra; Chidsey, A Frontier Village, supra at 158.

38 William J. Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car plates facing 10 (Express Printing Co. and Harmony Press 1911, reprinted 1984)(dated as post-Revolutionary War Easton). The same picture appears, dated to 1800, in Rayner Wickersham Kelsey, At the Forks of the Delaware 1794 – 1811, Paper Read at Easton, Pennsylvania, November 13, 1919, before the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society, plate facing 2 (The Pennsylvania History Press 1920). The picture was originally published in the September 1798 edition of The Philadelphia Monthly Magazine and attributed to I. (or J.) Hoffman, together with an article about Easton by Joseph Hopkinson. Hopkinson, the son of Declaration of Independence signer Francis Hopkinson, had studied law in Easton in 1791. In 1798 – the year his article on Easton was published – Hopkinson wrote the words to “Hail Columbia”, the “first American song of a national character”. Henry F. Marx, “Easton of Long Ago”, EASTON EXPRESS, Sat., 19 Apr. 1930, p.13, cols. 3-4; see also Liam Riordan, Many Identities, One Nation Fig.11 facing p.15 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press 2007).

See also Richard F. Hope, “Walking Tour: Easton in 1797”, EASTON IRREGULAR 4 (March 2009)(correctly guessing, without reference to the above, that the picture’s actual date was about 1797-98). This guess was based upon two items in the picture. First, Heller (apparently correctly) identifies Lewis Gordon’s house in this picture; it appears directly adjacent to building next door to the East. In 1798, Jacob Mixsell (then the owner of what had formerly been Gordon’s house) entered into an agreement with Jacob Opp, the owner of this adjacent building, to build a common alley between them – a private alley that continues to exist to this day. Agreement, Jacob Mixsell and Jacob Opp, E2 312 (22 Aug. 1798). Since that alley does not appear in the picture, it must be dated to 1798 or before.

Moreover, an imposing building appears to the West of Lewis Gordon’s house, after Gordon’s courtyard. This building was probably built by Daniel Wagener after April 1897, based upon a deed’s property description as of that date that fails to mention any “Messuage” or “Tenement” on the land at that time.

This dating is not certain. Such language in property descriptions was customary, but not legally necessary. Moreover, prior increases in property value could, instead, indicate a somewhat earlier construction date. However, fluctuations in the value of currency

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1773, Frederick Nungesser had bought it and “transferred the business to Boehringer’s former clerk, Isaac Sidman” – who then married Nungesser’s daughter Elizabeth in the following year. Sidman was very popular in Easton, and was elected a Colonel of the First Regiment of the Militia in 1776, although the appointment “caused a great controversy owing to his youthful appearance”.51 Also in 1776, Sidman purchased property across the street, on the NW corner of Third and Ferry Streets, on which he built a hotel. In about 1781, he sold out to Conrad Ihrie Jr. and moved back to Philadelphia.52

during those years, as well as other factors, could explain the changes in property value. See discussion in separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for 352 Northampton Street.

Construction of Wagener’s building after April 1797 would also be consistent with dating the picture to late 1797 or early 1798.

But see Floyd Smith Bixler, The Vine and Background of Christian Bixler, 3 rd and Some Collateral Branches 50 (typed by Edith Jane Stires, undated but text at 15 indicates written in 1930), who (in discussing this picture) dates it to 1770, and speculates that the artist “J. Hoffman” might have been a lst brother of Anna Maria Hoffman, one of Bixler’s ancestors.

39 Rev. Uzal W. Condit, The History of Easton, Penn’a 163 (George W. West 1885 / 1889). 40 Territorial Kansas Online, “Andrew H. Reeder, 1807-1864”,

www.territorialkansasonline.org/cgiwrap/imlskto/index.php?SCREEN=bio_sketches/reeder_andrew (accessed 24 July 2007); E.J. Fox, “Andrew H. Reeder”, in William E. Connelley (Secretary, Kansas State Historical Society, compiler), A STANDARD HISTORY OF KANSAS AND KANSANS (Lewis Publishing Company 1918), transcribed to the Internet at skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1918ks/bior/reederah.html (accessed 9 Sept. 2006); Portrait and Biographical Record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania 175-78 (Chapman Publishing Co. 1894, reprint by Higginson Book Co.); Frank B. Copp, Biographical Sketches of Some of Easton’s Prominent Citizens 6-11 (Hillburn & West 1879); William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 64-65 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984); William J. Heller, II History of Northampton County and The Grand Valley of the Lehigh Biographical Section 32-33 (The American Historical Society 1920); Marie and Frank Summa & Leonard Buscemi Sr., Images of America: Historic Easton 125 (Arcadia Publishing 2000)(picture); II The Twentieth Century Bench and Bar of Pennsylvania 325-26 (H.C. Cooper, Jr., Bro. & Co. 1903). See generally separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for the Reeder Homestead at 226 Northampton Street.

41 Joshua Trachtenberg, Consider the Years, The Story of the Jewish Community of Easton 1752 – 1942 68 (Centennial Committee of Temple Brith Sholom 1944); see also 1780 taxables list showing the Widow Nungesser (including the Nungesser estate) has having the 4th largest value in town:

Michael Hart (£1797 plus a house worth £464 = £2261)Myer (Meyer) Hart (£2095)Peter Kachline Sr. (£2095) Widow Nungessor (£620 plus £1312 in Nungesser estate = £1932) Ferry Keeper Jacob Abel (£60 plus £680 for the ferry = £940)

It should be noted that in Forks Township, Jacob Arnd was worth £3190, and his brother John Arndt another £1580. These brothers would eventually move to Easton.

Quoted in Peter Fritts, History of Northampton County 72-73 and 74 (Forks Twp.) (A.M. Davis 1877, reprinted by Higginson Book Company).

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According to Historian William J. Heller, Sidman returned to Easton in “about the year 1785” when Frederick Nungesser’s estate was being divided up, and then built his Northampton Street store53 “at the southwest corner of Northampton Street and Centre Square”.54 However, an engraving of the Northampton Street buildings that has been dated to the late 1790s by other evidence (and indeed, to the year 1800 by another historian) does not show this stone structure,55 suggesting that Sidman may have actually constructed it at a later date. In the federal “Window Tax” assessment of 1798, Isaac Sidman was recorded as owning in Easton Borough a 2-story stone building 45’ X 30 in size, worth $850.56 Whatever the precise construction date of Sidman’s store, there is no dispute that he ultimately “disposed of his mercantile business to his clerks, Titus and

42 Frederick Nungesser died on 3 May 1774. Chidsey, A Frontier Village, supra at 158; accord, William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 71 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984).

43 See Northampton County Orphan’s Court, Estate File No. 685 (1776), which does not list or display any will, and does indicate that Frederick Nungesser’s wife, Christina, was appointed “Administratrix” (which normally applies to intestacy estates) rather than “Executrix” (which would normally apply if there had been a will).

44 See Deed, Christina Nungesser, et al., to John Shnyder, F2 224 (8 Feb. 1800)(recitals). 45 See Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., The Easton – Phillipsburg 1999 Calendar unnumbered p.21

(Buscemi Enterprises 1998). Mr. Buscemi erroneously places the hotel and these meetings in a building on Northampton Street, based on a misleading label on an 1800 picture placed by William Heller in 1912. William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car place facing 10 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984). In fact, as seen from the authorities above, the Widow Nungesser’s Hotel was located on Centre Square, and the gable of that building can be seen above the Northampton Street buildings at the point where Heller’s caption label was placed.

46 William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 12, 71 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984).

47 Deed, John Nungesser to Adam Yohe, B2 556 (26 Nov. 1795)(£ 150); A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village: Pre-Revolutionary Easton 258 (Vol.III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society, 1940)(Building No.50).

48 Deed Poll, Henry Spering, Sheriff, for the Estate of Adam Yohe, to John Snyder, F2 100, Sheriff A2 45 (14 May 1799).

49 William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 12 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984).

50 William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 71 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984).

51 Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car, supra at 71; see A.D. Chidsey, Jr., A Frontier Village 241-42 (Vol. III of Publications of The Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society 1940)(clerk of David Barringer – description of Property No.9).

52 Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car, supra at 68, 71. Heller’s dates are somewhat confused and inconsistent between the two entries. Accord, Deed, Isaac (Elizabeth) Sidman to Conrad Ihrie the Younger, E1 216 (12 Mar. 1780)(Original Town Lot No.123), subject to the annual quit rent of 7 shillings established in Patent, John Penn the Younger and John Penn the Elder to Isaac Sidman, Patent Book AA9 202 (5 Mar. 1776). See also Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., The Easton – Phillipsburg 1999 Calendar unnumbered p.3 (Buscemi Enterprises 1998).

53 Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car, supra at 68, 71.

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Innes”, and returned again to Philadelphia,57 selling the 1/5 interest in the Nungesser estate’s land to Peter Miller in 1802.58 Meanwhile, the owners of the other 4/5 interests in the estate property had already sold them (in 1799 and 1800) to John Shnyder,59 who in turn sold this 4/5 interest to John Green.60

Green and Miller

Businessmen Green and Miller were then left to reconcile their partial interests in the property. In 1803, they decided to partition their interests cleanly into separate lots, and adopted a simple plan. First, Miller would re-divide the two properties into 5 parcels. Then, Green would choose four of them for his own, leaving Miller the one remaining. In the event, Miller chose to split the two original town Lot Nos.132 and 133, that had faced Centre Square,61 into five parcels running the other way, all facing Northampton

54 Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car, supra at 71. 55 See Richard F. Hope, “Walking Tour: Easton in 1797”, EASTON IRREGULAR 4 (May

2009); Rayner Wickersham Kelsey, At the Forks of the Delaware 1794 – 1811, Paper Read at Easton, Pennsylvania, November 13, 1919, before the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society, plate facing 2 (The Pennsylvania History Press 1920)(dated to 1800). Heller dates the picture earlier, to the close of the Revolutionary War.

56 Federal Tax of 1798 (“Window Tax”), Roll 361, Easton Borough listing (National Archives records, microfilm located in Easton Area Public Library).

58 Deed, Isaac (Elizabeth) Sidman to Peter Miller, H2 437 (30 Nov. 1802). 59 The record for the underlying transactions in partial land shares for this property appears

to be confused. Deed, Christina Nungesser, Abraham (Catherine) Bachman and Absalom (Christina) Reeder to John Shnyder, F2 224 (8 Feb. 1800)(sale price $1013-1/3) conveyed a quit claim for (evidently) three of the five outstanding interests in the property. It recites that one of Frederick Nungesser’s daughters, Regina Smith (and her husband Leonard) sold their share to Absalom Reeder in 1789, and that John Nungesser had sold an interest to his mother, Christina Nungesser, in 1791. Christina, as we saw above, herself had title directly from the Penn Family for one of the lots.

John Nungesser also appears to have sold an interest to innkeeper Adam Yohe in 1795. Yohe then lost it in a Sheriff’s Sale in 1799, when it was purchased by John Shnyder. Deed, John Nungesser to Adam Yohe, B2 556 (26 Nov. 1795)(£ 150); Deed Poll, Henry Spering, Sheriff, for the Estate of Adam Yohe, to John Snyder, F2 100 (14 May 1799) and Sheriff A2 45 (14 May 1799). If valid at all (in light of the earlier transaction with his mother), this might have conveyed another 1/5 interest, although the language does not expressly state the partial nature of the conveyance. However, as a “quit claim” transaction, it could only convey as much interest as John Nungesser actually owned at that time. Notwithstanding this fact, A.D. Chidsey, in A Frontier Village, supra at 258, evidently read the language of these deeds as conveying a complete title – but Chidsey’s reading is inconsistent with the partition of the land between John Green and Peter Miller in 1803-05, as discussed below.

Historian William Heller believed that the property was divided into discrete parcels and distributed to the heirs. William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car place facing 71 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984). However, this also is inconsistent with the common ownership that John Green and Peter Miller obtained from the family, as reflected later in their partition agreement (see below).

60 Deed, John (Christina) Schnyder to John Green, G2 593 (18 Apr. 1803)(sale price £1,100).

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Street. Only Miller’s end parcel – Miller’s Parcel No.1 – ran along Centre Square, at the corner.62 Under this arrangement, once Miller had split up the parcels, Green chose which four parcels he would take. In 1805, he chose two parcels from each end – Miller’s Parcels Nos.1 and 2 nearest Centre Square, and Miller’s Parcels Nos.4 and 5 nearest what became Bank Alley. This left Parcel No.3 facing Northampton Street for Miller himself.63

Peter Miller’s House

Peter Miller established his substantial personal residence on his middle Parcel No.3, which faced Northampton Street just up from Centre Square.64 Miller was simply described as a “storekeeper” in 1803 and 1805,65 but his business interests soon branched out into many areas. He allowed his Northampton Street residence to be used (through a connecting door) to take overflow guests from John Arndt’s Hotel/Tavern next door.66 He also was a large investor. By the time of his death in 1847, his estate was massive for the time: over $300,000 (a fortune under the standards of the time), including over $74,000 invested in 19 pieces of property in Easton, and an even larger real estate investment in Forks Township, as well as many mortgage loans and other assets.67 He was later referred to as one of the three “rich men of Easton”,68 and as Easton’s “merchant prince” and “philanthropist”.69

In 1811, Miller agreed to house Easton’s first subscription library (sponsored by Sitgreaves) in his “office” in a “Frame House situated in Pomfret Street” (later 3rd Street), until Library Hall (still standing at the NW corner of Church and Second Street) was remodeled and expanded into a library in 1815. This was provided rent free at first, and later at $30 per year.70 The library was open 2 hours per week (4 hours in winter), with fines for overdue books and a $1 fine for loaning a book to a non-subscriber.71

When Peter Miller died in 1847, at age 81, a newspaper account claimed that “his memory will be cherished by the indigent widow and orphan for many ages to come.”72 In approximately 1806,73 Miller built “his row of brick houses for aged and infirm widows” at the NE corner of Ferry Street and Bank Alley (where the KNBT Bank property is now located).74 St. John’s Lutheran Church (Peter Miller’s church) was located next to that block of homes in 1832.75 Miller’s will, among other things, gave $10,000 to the Female Benevolent Society of the German Reformed and Saint John’s Lutheran Congregations.76

Miller was buried in the graveyard at St. John’s Lutheran Church, and when that portion of the graveyard was sold in 1870 for a public school, his body

61 A.D. Chidsey, Jr., The Penn Patents in the Forks of the Delaware Plan of Easton, Map 2 (Vol. II of Publications of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 1937).

57 Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car, supra at 71. 62 Article of Agreement, John Green and Peter Miller, A3 225 (23 Feb. 1803); Deed, Peter

Miller to John Green, A3 226 (25 April 1805). 63 Deed, Peter Miller to John Green, A3 226 (25 April 1805).

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was moved by St. John’s to another plot behind the Sunday School on ground retained by the church, as a special mark of respect because of the large bequest given in Miller’s will to the Church’s Female Benevolent Society.77

Miller’s nephew, also named Peter Miller (a resident of Ohio), inherited much of his uncle’s real estate (including his uncle’s residence),78 and also inherited the residue of the other valuables of his “large estate”. 79 Nephew Peter Miller challenged his uncle’s will provision creating a trust for the accumulation of income to make loans to “Farmers of industrious and sober habits”, and for eventual use to build a hospital. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in a landmark decision, voided this bequest as a violation of the legal “rule against perpetuities”.80

Nephew Miller’s lawyers in his successful challenge were James Madison Porter (the principal founder of Lafayette College) and Matthew Hale Jones, both of whom had mansions on North Third Street.81 In 1849, nephew Peter Miller paid his legal bills in land, rather than cash, transferring 1/5 of his inheritance to attorneys Porter and Jones.82 He also agreed to pay 2/5 of this inheritance to pay his agent in Easton, named Samuel Wilhelm.83 In late 1849, Miller and Samuel Wilhelm split up (“partitioned”) the remaining real estate to implement this payment. The Centre Square land was among the parcels that agent Samuel Wilhelm received,84 presumably in part because he was living on a house at the rear of the property, in the added portion once owned by John Simon, facing Bank Alley.85 Nephew Miller died in Ohio in 1850, the year after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision.86

In 1854, Samuel Wilhelm (nephew Peter Miller’s agent) sold both Peter Miller’s former residence, and the adjoining Bank Alley land on which he had lived, to Christian Fleming (usually spelled Flemming), for $14,000.87 By 1855, the site of Peter Miller’s residence had become the Hecht & Flemming drug and chemical store, then listed as No.116 Northampton St.88

John Green’s Interests: Eseck Howell

Within two weeks of settling the parcels with Peter Miller, John Green realized $2,000 in cash for Parcels 1 and 2 (at the corner with Centre Square) in a sale to Eseck Howell,89 a storekeeper. Green retained Parcels 4 and 5 (at the Bank Street end of the property), constructing a three-story brick building there90 which he leased to John Arndt for a hotel.91 The year after John Arndt died in 1814,92 John Green sold this property to become the new Easton Bank.93 No doubt in order to satisfy the Bank purchasers, John Green clean up his (and Miller’s!) title to the entire parcel back to Centre Square, by obtaining a formal release of the 7 shillings annual rent owed to the Penn Family under the original Patent on Lot 132.94 He then obtained $31.54 from Eseck Howell, for Howell’s proportionate part of the release of these ground rents relating to the Parcels that Howell now owned.95 As for John Green’s two Parcels next to Bank Street, their history is detailed in the WalkingEaston entry on the Easton Bank at 316 Northampton Street.

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John Green had come to Easton in approximately 1784 or ’85 at age 17. He died on 9 March 1854 at age 87 or 88.96 A carpenter by trade,97 he became a substantial property owner in Easton during the course of his career, at various times owning land:

at the foot of Northampton Street, near the Delaware River bridge (now 101 Northampton Street);

a hotel on Northampton Street (now 137-39 Northampton Street);

this property at the SW corner of Centre Square and Northampton Street (now 30 Centre Square) and the land that later became the Easton Bank at 316 Northampton Street.98

96 See Rev. Uzal W. Condit, The History of Easton, Penn’a 156-57 (George W. West 1885 / 1889)(one of the “first settlers” of Easton, died at age 88); Henry F. Marx (compiler), II Marriages and Deaths Northampton County 1852 – 1870 Newspaper Extracts 318 (Easton Area Public Library 1934)(age 87 according to the EASTON ARGUS and age 88 according to the WHIG)(had been in Easton since age 17 – implying that he came to town in 1784 or ’85); accord, 1790 Census, Series M637, Roll 8, p.266; see 1800 Census, Series M32, Roll 37, p.536; 1810 Census, Series M252, Roll 51, p.165; 1820 Census, Series M33, Roll 104, p.250. See also William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 151 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984).

Condit’s History makes it clear that this John Green (who died in 1854) was the cousin of another John Green (son of Benjamin Green), who had a property at what became 83 North Fourth Street and died in 1870. See the separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for that address for further details.

97 See Article of Agreement, John Green and Peter Miller, A3 225 (23 Feb. 1803)(Northampton County Real Estate Archives).

64 Deed of Partition between Samuel (Mary) Wilhelm and Peter (Elizabeth) Miller (of Ohio), C8 113 (29 Dec. 1849)(Tract No.14)(“late the residence of Peter Miller late of Borough of Easton Merchant deceased”); accord, Floyd S. Bixler, The History with Reminiscences of the Early Taverns and Inns of Easton, 11-12 (Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 1931)( Paper Read before the Northampton County Historical Society at the St. Crispin Anniversary Dinner at the Lafayette Hotel on 25 Oct. 1930); Deed, Isaac Sidman to Peter Miller, A2 437 (30 Nov. 1802); see James A. Wright, Colonial Taverns of Northampton County, Pennsylvania 5-6 (1993); Buscemi, The Easton-Phillipsburg 1999 Calendar, supra at 16. See also Rayner Wickersham Kelsey, At the Forks of the Delaware 1794 – 1811 picture facing p.2 (The Pennsylvania History Press 1920).

65 Article of Agreement, John Green and Peter Miller, A3 225 (23 Feb. 1803)(Northampton County Real Estate Archives); Deed, Peter Miller to John Green, A3 226 (25 April 1805).

66 Bixler, The History with Reminiscences of the Early Taverns and Inns of Easton, supra at 11-12; Deed, Isaac [Sidman?] to Peter Miller, A2 437 (30 Nov. 1802); see James A. Wright, Colonial Taverns of Northampton County, Pennsylvania 5-6 (1993); Buscemi, The Easton-Phillipsburg 1999 Calendar, supra at 16.

67 Peter Miller Estate Inventories, Northampton County Orphan’s Court File No. 5516, as follows:

Personal Property $ 181,638.67Easton Real Estate 74,300.00Forks Township Real Estate 77,078.90 Bethlehem Township Real Estate 28,925.00

311,942.57

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Green was also a manager of the Delaware River Bridge Co., and of the Easton Water Co., as well as a founder and the President of the Fire Insurance Company of Northampton County.99

Focusing now on Eseck Howell’s two eastern parcels (at the corner with Centre Square): having purchased the land from John Green in 1805,100 Howell proceeded in 1811 to erect a new brick building. For this, he obtained permission from Peter Miller to attach onto the wall of the “Building wherein the said Peter Miler now resides”.101 Howell evidently operated his own store in his new building for a time, perhaps also renting out space in the building to others. In about 1831, some of this leased space was taken over for a dry goods store, operated by John Titus and McEvers Forman.102 John Titus (1802 – 1866103) could not have himself been been one of Colonel Sigman’s old

68 Article, “Rich Men”, EASTON ARGUS, Thurs., 21 Nov. 1861, p.2, col.3. The other two identified by the ARGUS were Col. Thomas McKeen and Hon. David D. Wagener. See generally separate entries for the Wagner Mansion (Pomfret Club) at 33 South 4th Street (owned by David Wagener’s son) and the Col. Thomas McKeen Mansion at 231 Spring Garden Street.

69 Floyd S. Bixler, The History with Reminiscences of the Early Taverns and Inns of Easton, 12 (Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 1931)( Paper Read before the Northampton County Historical Society at the St. Crispin Anniversary Dinner at the Lafayette Hotel on 25 Oct. 1930); accord, William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 72 (The Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984)(“famous Easton philanthropist and merchant”). See separate entries on www.WalkingEaston.com for Library Hall, 32 North Second Street, and The Log Cabin Lot / Peter Miller Building, 209-17 Northampton Street.

70 Easton Library Association, Minute Book 14, 37, 44 (original handwritten notes in Marx Room, Easton Area Public Library); see separate entry on www.WalkingEaston.com for Library Hall, 32 North Second Street, and sources cited therein.

For a discussion of Pomfret Street properties that might have hosted the Library, see separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for Library Hall at 32 North 2nd Street.

71 Scott Hill, A Self Guided Tour . . . Historic Forks of the Delaware 7 (Eagle Scout Project, 29 Apr. 1992). The initial subscription rules are set out in Easton Library Association, Minute Book 19-21 (original handwritten notes in Marx Room, Easton Area Public Library).

72 Henry F. Marx (compiler), II Marriages and Deaths Northampton County 1799 – 1851 Newspaper Extracts 694 (Easton Area Public Library 1929)(from The Whig and Journal, Wed., 10 March 1847, article stating that Miller had died on the third).

73 See Len Buscemi, “Easton Trivia: Did You Know?”, EASTON IRREGULAR 5 (Apr. 2009). 74 William J. Heller, Historic Easton From the Window of a Trolley-Car 71-72 (The

Express Printing Co., Inc., 1912, reprinted by Genealogical Researchers, 1984)(on the “rear portion” of the “two Moravian lots” on South Third Street; Miller’s row houses (after their roof was repaired from an 1860 fire) became “the row of brick residences standing at the corner of Bank and Ferry streets”); see also Len Buscemi, “Easton Trivia: Did You Know?”, EASTON IRREGULAR 5 (Apr. 2009)(locates them on the South side of Ferry Street between Third and Bank Alley).

75 See separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for St. John’s Lutheran Church at 330 Ferry Street.

76 Northampton County Orphan’s Court File 5516 (also listed as being recorded in Will Book 4 at 346). See also Barbara Fretz Kempton, A History of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Easton, Pennsylvania 1740-1940 90, 216-17 (The John S. Correll Co., Inc. 1940).

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clerks (with “Innes”) in the building,104 because he was born too late. Perhaps it was a relative. We do know that this John Titus became very well connected in Easton, having married Maria Barnet, the granddaughter of Easton tycoon John Herster, whose will mentions both John Titus and his wife.105 John Titus apparently did well in business, ultimately owning a fine home at 64 North Third Street (“Millionaire’s Row”).106

McEvers Forman also ultimately had a fine home on Millionaire’s Row, at 46 North Third Street (Millionaire’s Row), later the Monoplane Treat Shop (a popular teenage hangout in the 1930s and ‘40s), and now town down for a parking lot.107 He later became the Cashier of the Farmers’ & Mechanics Bank when it was formed in 1851,108

77 Barbara Fretz Kempton, A History of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Easton, Pennsylvania 1740-1940 90 (The John S. Correll Co., Inc. 1940). See generally separate entry on www.WalkingEaston.com for St. John’s Lutheran Church at 330 Ferry Street.

78 See Deed of Partition between Samuel (Mary) Wilhelm and Peter (Elizabeth) Miller (of Ohio), C8 113 (29 Dec. 1849)(Property No.14). This deed includes, at pages 120-23, a listing of 36 properties, giving a brief description of each and their disposition between Peter Miller, his Easton agent Samuel Wilhelm, and his two lawyers Matthew Hale Jones and James Madison Porter.

79 Henry F. Marx (compiler), II Marriages and Deaths Northampton County 1885-1902 Newspaper Extracts 808 (Easton Area Public Library 1929).

80 Hillyard v. Miller, 10 Pa.State 326-38 (Pa.Sup.Ct. 1849); see Kempton, A History of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, supra at 217 (decision established Pennsylvania law on trusts for the accumulation of income).

81 Hillyard v. Miller, 10 Pa.State 326 (Pa.Sup.Ct. 1849); see generally separate entries on www.WalkingEaston.com for the Hotel Huntington at 5 North Third Street and the Parking Lot (formerly the Porter Mansion) at 53 North Third Street.

82 Deed, Peter (Elizabeth) Miller to James M. Port and Matthew Hale Jones, H7 572 (5 Sept. 1849)(stated price $50,000 for 1/5 of the inheritance “and for divers other good causes and considerations”). Two months later, in return for certain of the real estate, the two lawyers returned their 1/5 interest. Deed, James M. (Eliza) Porter and Matthew Hale (Mary F.) Jones to Peter Miller and Samuel Wilhelm, C8 94 (21 Nov. 1849).

83 Deed, Peter (Elizabeth) Miller to Samuel Wilhelm, H7 573 (5 Sept. 1849)(stated sale price $100,000 for 2/5 interest in Miller’s entire inheritance).

84 Deed of Partition between Samuel (Mary) Wilhelm and Peter (Elizabeth) Miller (of Ohio), C8 113 (29 Dec. 1849)(Tract No.14). Wilhelm got tracts 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, and 29. Miller got tracts 5, 10, 12, 20, 22, 24, 25, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. Tracts 2, 3, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 26, 27, and 28 were not allocated by this deed.

85 Deed of Partition between Samuel (Mary) Wilhelm and Peter (Elizabeth) Miller (of Ohio), C8 113 (29 Dec. 1849)(Tract No.14); see also Deed, James M. (Eliza) Porter and Matthew Hale (Mary F.) Jones to Peter Miller and Samuel Wilhelm, C8 94 (21 Nov. 1849)(Tract No.14). This added portion had, at least in part, been purchased from the Penn Family by John Simon in 1789. When Simon died intestate, it passed to three heirs, two of whom ultimately released their interests to Michael Simon. Michael then sold the property to Peter Miller for $1800 in 1820. See Deed, Michael (Mary) Simon to Peter Miller, F4 43 (1 July 1820)(and recitals); Deed, John Penn the Younger and John Penn the Elder to John Simon, H1 317 (9 Nov. 1789).

86 Henry F. Marx (compiler), II Marriages and Deaths Northampton County 1799 – 1851 Newspaper Extracts 808 (Easton Area Public Library 1929)(died 3 March 1850).

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and later became the Bank President after that institution became the First National Bank.109

Eseck Howell himself also apparently retired in 1831, because an advertisement announced that Eseck Howell’s former store room “next door to the store of Mr. Peter Miller” had been leased for a new store by Charles G. von Tagen, after his “late misfortune”.110 This description places von Tagen in the western part of the building, since it was adjacent to Peter Miller’s house. The “misfortune” that was mentioned but not described in the advertisement (since everyone in town would presumably have known!), was undoubtedly “the great fire of 19 March 1831”, which had burnt out von

87 Deed, Samuel (Mary) Wilhelm to Christian Fleming, G8 573 (27 Feb. 1854). 88 C[harles] Kitchen, A General Directory of the Borough of Easton PA (Cole & Eichman’s

Office, 1855)(advertisement – No. 116 “next door to old Easton Bank”); Advertisement, “Hecht & Flemming”, EASTON EXPRESS, Sat., 10 Nov. 1855, p.1, col.1 (same).

89 Deed, John (Rhode) Green to Eseck Howell, A3 268 (7 May 1805)(sale price $2,000 for parcels 1 and 2 partitioned by Peter Miller from original town Lot Nos.132 and 133).

90 See Deed, John (Rhode) Green to Easton Bank, A4 421 (26 Jan. 1815)(recitals that this building was present at the time of the sale to Easton Bank).

91 See, e.g., James A. Wright, Colonial Taverns of Northampton County, Pennsylvania 5-6 (1993); Floyd S. Bixler, The History with Reminiscences of the Early Taverns and Inns of Easton, 11-12 (Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society 1931)( Paper Read before the Northampton County Historical Society at the St. Crispin Anniversary Dinner at the Lafayette Hotel on 25 Oct. 1930); Leonard S. Buscemi Sr., The Easton-Phillipsburg 1999 Calendar 16 (Buscemi Enterprises 1999); WalkingEaston entry for Easton Bank at 316 Northampton Street.

92 John Stover Arndt, The Story of the Arndts 167 (Philadelphia, Christopher Sower Company 1922).

93 Deed, John (Rhode) Green to Easton Bank, A4 421 (26 Jan. 1815); see WalkingEaston entry for Easton Bank at 316 Northampton Street.

94 Release of Yearly Rent, John Penn and William (Juliana Catharine) Penn to John Green, B4 193 (7 Jan. 1815).

95 Release, John Green to Eseck Howell, F4 88 (20 Sept. 1815)(sale price $31.54 for Howell’s portion of the money paid to the Penn Family for extinguishing the 7 shillings annual ground rent on original town Lot No.132).

98 See separate www.WalkingEaston.com entries for these addresses, and the sources cited therein.

99 Henry F. Marx (compiler), II Marriages and Deaths Northampton County 1852 – 1870 Newspaper Extracts 318 (Easton Area Public Library 1934).

100 Deed, John (Rhode) Green to Eseck Howell, A3 268 (7 May 1805)(sale price $2,000 for parcels 1 and 2 partitioned by Peter Miller from original town Lot Nos.132 and 133).

101 Agreement, Peter Miller (storekeeper) and Eseck Howell (storekeeper), G3 191 (21 June 1811). The price for this attachment was to be valued later by Hill Hutchinson, and paid to Peter Miller once valued.

102 Cf. Charles Stewart, “Some Reminiscences of Easton and Vicinity In The Thirdties and Fourties”, in Easton Public Library, II The Book Shelf Scrap Book of Easton and Northampton County 49, 50 (Easton Public Library 1936)(John Titus and McEvers Forman opened their dry goods store at the corner with Centre Square, in space formerly occupied by Eseck Howell).

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Tagen’s former business with partner George Miller located “at Northampton and Sitgreaves street”.111 This fire had threatened to burn down a quarter of the Centre Square area, but was fortunately brought under control. It may have started in the Miller & von Tagen clothing store; one of the owners (unspecified in the newspaper) had tried to save the flaming account books but instead only “burned his hands in a shocking manner.”112 Although George Miller decided to leave town after the fire,113 von Tagen had then “resumed business as a dealer in groceries and liquors”114 at his new location next door to Peter Miller’s house, presumably in Eseck Howell’s building as well.

“Near” to von Tagen in 1831 was also Charles A. Keller, “located a few doors west of the Washington Hotel, on Northampton street, east of the old Easton Bank building”.115 However, this description actually suggests that Keller’s space lay in the Easton Bank’s property, and not in Eseck Howell’s building.

After property owner Eseck Howell died, his will (prove in Orphan’s Court on 25 April 1842) left his widow, Magdalena, the right to use for life the “three story brick house at the corner of the public square & Northampton Streets”, other than the “room therein now used as a store” and affiliated cellars in that building. The store was to be rented out, and the proceeds used to help pay her a $600 annual annuity from the estate.116

She died on 3 July 1860.117

103 Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Record Book 186 (Easton Area Public Library Volume Reference B).

104 Heller, Historic Easton from the Window of a Trolley-Car, supra at 71 (see above). 105 See Will of John Herster, Will Book 7 187, at 188-89 (Northampton County Orphan’s

Court proven 3 Mar. 1856)(mention of John Titus the husband of Herster’s granddaughter Maria Barnet, daughter of Herster’s daughter Catharine (Herster) Barnet).

106 See separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for the Whit Wood Mansion at 62 North Third Street, which property incorporated the older Titus parcel.

107 See separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for the Parking Lot at 56 North Third Street, which replaced several buildings including the Seville/Boyd Theatre and the McEvers Forman home.

108 M.S. Henry, History of the Lehigh Valley 125 (Bixler & Corwin 1860). Peter S. Michler was the Bank’s President at that time. Id. See also Talbot’s Lehigh Valley Gazetteer and Business Directory 1864-65 13 (Press of Wynkoop & Hallenbeck 1864)(alphabetical listing for Farmers’ and Mechanics’ Bank showing M.E. Forman as Cashier).

109 J.H. Lant & Son, Easton etc. Directory 1881-2 (1881)(McEvers Forman, Pres. First National Bank, home at 48 North Third St.); George W. West, West’s Guide to Easton, etc. 39 (West & Everett, Job Printers 1883)(Forman was President of First National Bank); 1880 Census, Series T9, Roll 1161, p.403A (age 74, President of Bank).

110 Advertisement, “To the Public”, DEMOCRAT & ARGUS, Thurs., 31 Mar. 1831, p.3, col.5 (advertisement dated 24 Mar. 1831).

116 Will of Eseck Howell, Will Book 6 143 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court proven 25 Apr. 1842)(available online through ancestry.com). The will gives an extensive description of the property to be sold after the widow’s death, showing it essentially to flow around Peter Miller’s old house on Northampton Street.

117 Find A Grave Memorial # 13789685, “Mary Magdalene Geassarr Howell”, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13789685&ref=acom (Easton

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In 1861, the administrator of Eseck Howell’s estate, McEvers Forman, sold the corner building and the surrounding property at the corner to Christian Fleming (usually spelled Flemming) for $14,880.118 Christian Flemming had also purchased Peter Miller’s old house next door in 1854,119 and was probably the partner in the Hecht & Flemming drug store operating in that building,120 as discussed above. Despite his name on the drug store, Christian Flemming was a butcher by trade, and may have operated his own butcher shop in part of the building for a time. He made his will in 1868 and died in the following year. Christian Flemming’s will shows that in 1868 his son, John F. Fleming, had leased “the Butcher shop next the Town Hall”. The will gave the brick building – in which the Flemming Butcher shop operated as an inheritance – to Fleming’s daughter, Elizabeth, provided she continue her brother’s Butcher shop lease for at least three years. This building was located along Centre Square to the corner with Northampton Street.121 The estate apparently continued to administer this building for Elizabeth and family until 1910, when it realized $62,000 its sale. The Orphan’s Court account for this sale explicitly called it the Flemming Building.122

Christian Flemming’s will also gave his daughter, Mary Ann Keiper (married to Dr. Keiper of Lafayette, Indiana), the “Brick House” next to the corner Flemming Building. Mary Ann’s property had only 18½ feet of frontage on Northampton Street, on property “running back to the Town Hall” in the rear.123 The newspaper described this property as “the house on Northampton street next the Square, occupied by Freeman’s clothing store”.124 The Freeman clothing store was renumbered 306 Northampton Street in 1874.125 This “Brick House” was evidently built on what had been Miller’s Parcel No.2, sandwiched between the Flemming Building and Peter Miller’s old house.

Cemetery 30 Mar. 2006)(born 4 Apr. 1777, died 3 July 1860, spouse Eseck Howell). 111 Advertisement, “To the Public”, DEMOCRAT AND ARGUS, Thurs., 31 March 1831, p.3,

col.5; see Ethan A. Weaver, “Historical Sketches Relating to Easton and Northampton County, Pa., and Their Inhabitants”, in Local Historical and Biographical Notes from the Files of Newspapers Published in Easton, Penna 39, at 40 (Germantown: New Series 1906).

112 Article, “Alarming Fire”, EASTON CENTINEL, Fri., 25 Mar. 1831, p.3, col.1, reprinted in Ethan A. Weaver, “A Disastrous Fire Sixty-nine Years Ago”, reprinted in Ethan Allen Weaver, Historical Notes First Series 153 et seq. (Easton Public Library June 1936); see also Article, “Destructive Fire!”, DEMOCRAT & ARGUS, Thurs., 24 March 1831, p.3, col.2.

More information about this fire is included in the www.WalkingEaston.com entry for 237 Northampton Street.

113 Advertisement, “To the Public”, DEMOCRAT & ARGUS, Thurs., 31 Mar. 1831, p.3, col.5 (advertisement dated 24 Mar. 1831).

114 Advertisement, “To the Public”, DEMOCRAT AND ARGUS, Thurs., 31 March 1831, p.3, col.5; see Ethan A. Weaver, “Historical Sketches Relating to Easton and Northampton County, Pa., and Their Inhabitants”, in Local Historical and Biographical Notes from the Files of Newspapers Published in Easton, Penna 39, at 40 (Germantown: New Series 1906).

115 See Ethan A. Weaver, “Historical Sketches Relating to Easton and Northampton County, Pa., and Their Inhabitants”, in Local Historical and Biographical Notes from the Files of Newspapers Published in Easton, Penna 39, at 40 (Germantown: New Series 1906).

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Christian Flemming’s will gave to his daughter, Emma F. Flemming, the old house of Peter Miller, described as the “Brick House . . . adjoining on the West the premises given to her sister Mary Ann”, which Christian had purchased from Samuel Wilhelm.126 The newspaper article in 1869 described this house as being located on Northampton Street “next the old Bank, occupied by Bleckley’s store”,127 which was assigned the address of 116 Northampton Street under the numbering scheme in effect at that time.128 Emma Flemming was in residence at the same address in 1873.129 With the inauguration of the modern street numbering scheme in 1874, E.D. Bleckley’s dry goods store became 310 Northampton Street, while “Miss E. Flemming’s” residence address became 312 Northampton Street.130 In 1975, both “Misses Emma & Elizabeth Flemming” were in residence at this address,131 while in 1877 only “Miss Lizzie Fleming” was left in residence.132

A codicil to Peter Flemming’s will dated 3 April 1869 directed “that a good and substantial Mansard or French Roof be constructed and put upon the Three Brick Buildings on the South side of Northampton Street between the Easton Bank and the Public Square” – the buildings which had been inherited by the three daughters: Elizabeth Flemming, Mary Ann Keiper, and Emma F. Flemming. The estate was to bear the cost of this roof.133 A later photograph of the Flemming Building along the face of Centre Square showed that it had a Mansard roof134 – a style that was briefly popular after the Civil War into the early 1870s, defining an architectural style known as “Second Empire” or “General Grant style”.135

Conklin’s Corner (Farr’s)

In 1868, as Christian Flemming had written his will giving the Flemming Building at the corner essentially to his daughter Elizabeth, much of the commercial space in that building was leased to D.W. Conklin, George Broadwell, and S.W. Corwin, to become the Broadwell, Conklin & Co. grocery.136

Conklin had originally gone to work for I. Benedict’s wholesale grocery, but that store had been acquired by the firm of Daily & Tombler,137 another prominent firm that was later headquartered at the SE corner of 3rd and Ferry Streets.138 Tombler had put Conklin in charge of a retail grocery store, but in 1868 Conklin decided to strike out on his own with partner Broadwell on the SW corner of Centre Square and Northampton Street. Conklin & Broadwell provided a “first-class grocery store”, proud that the senior partner of the firm visited New York 2-3 times per week to purchase goods: a store where “none but gentlemanly and accommodating clerks will be employed.”139

136 Obituary, “Daniel T. Conklin”, EASTON EXPRESS, Fri., 20 July 1906, p.1.137 Obituary, “Daniel T. Conklin”, EASTON EXPRESS, Fri., 20 July 1906, p.1.138 See www.WalkingEaston.com entry for 100 South 3rd Street; see also

www.WalkingEaston.com entry for the Tombler Building / Easton Arts Building at 230 Ferry Street.

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With the inauguration of the modern street numbering scheme in 1874, Conklin’s corner grocery store was renumbered 300 Northampton Street.140

By 1889, the store was a large commercial building containing the D.W. Conklin & Co. grocery at the street level, and (upstairs) George W. West’s printing business.141 Conklin’s grocery was for the “wealthier” downtown trade. The floor was covered with sawdust, while outside was a wooden awning and a pile of “barrels of molasses, pickles, mackerel, sugar, etc.” These barrels often leaked slightly, giving off an odor. “Dan was a rip-roaring religionist”, but it was also said that “his thumb brought him extra profit at the counter scales. That was not uncommon.”142

139 Advertisement, “A Card”, EASTON ARGUS, Thurs., 26 Mar. 1868, p.3, col.7 (ad dated 13 Feb. 1868 for Broadwell, Conklin & Co.).

118 Deed, McEvers Forman, Administrator of the Estate of Eseck Howell, to Christian Fleming, B10 539 (1 Apr. 1861)(sale price $14,880 for “two certain pieces of land adjoining each other” at the SW corner of Centre Square and Northampton Street).

119 Deed, Samuel (Mary) Wilhelm to Christian Fleming, G8 573 (27 Feb. 1854). 120 C[harles] Kitchen, A General Directory of the Borough of Easton PA (Cole & Eichman’s

Office, 1855)(advertisement – No. 116 “next door to old Easton Bank”); Advertisement, “Hecht & Flemming”, EASTON EXPRESS, Sat., 10 Nov. 1855, p.1, col.1 (same).

121 Will of Christian Flemming, File No. 8346, Will Book 8 232 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court signed 2 May 1868, proven 10 Aug. 1869)(¶ “Fifth”).

122 First and Final Account, Estate of Christian Flemming, File No. 8346 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court will proven 10 Aug. 1869). See also Deed, C. Flemming Sandt, Trustee for the Sale of Real Estate of Christian Flemming, to Frank Keiger, et al., B39 317 (26 May 1910)(sale price $62,000).

123 Will of Christian Flemming, Item “Sixth”, second paragraph (dated 2 May 1868, proven 10 Aug. 1869), document in Estate of Christian Flemming, File No. 8346 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court Archives). Again, title was actually passed to Mrs. Keiper for life, with the remainder to her children.

124 Article, “The Will of Christian Fleming”, EASTON FREE PRESS, Thurs., 19 Aug. 1869, p.3, col.3.

125 Article, “The New Numbers”, EASTON DAILY FREE PRESS, Friday, 21 Nov. 1873, p.3 (Charles Freeman, clothing at No.306 and residence at No.308 Northampton Street).

126 Will of Christian Flemming, Item “Seventh”, second paragraph (dated 2 May 1868, proven 10 Aug. 1869), document in Estate of Christian Flemming, File No. 8346 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court Archives). Again, title was actually passed to Emma Fleming for life, with the remainder to her children (if any) or other heirs if there were no children.

127 Article, “The Will of Christian Fleming”, EASTON FREE PRESS, Thurs., 19 Aug. 1869, p.3, col.3.

128 See Jeremiah H. Lant, The Northampton County Directory for 1873 55 (1873)(E.D. Bleckley, dry goods & etc., 116 Northampton Street; home at 19 North 3rd Street).

129 Jeremiah H. Lant, The Northampton County Directory for 1873 71 (1873)(Miss Emma Flemming at 116 Northampton St.); see D.G. Beers, Atlas of Northampton County Pennsylvania, Plan of Easton (A. Pomeroy & Co. 1874)(Mrs. Flemming).

In 1870, “Emma and Lizzie Fleming” had lived at 65 North 4th Street, next to John C. Fleming at 67 North 4th Street. Fitzgerald & Dillon, Easton Directory for 1870-71 42 (Ringwalt & Brown

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This site of “Conklin’s corner” was known as “a meeting place for Eastonians at the turn of the century.”143 It later became a men’s wear store.144 Property owner Elizabeth Flemming died in 1908 or ’09 (the sources are in conflict),145 without having any children. Accordingly, under her father’s will, the Farr Building property was divided up into shares in accordance with Pennsylvania’s intestacy law. The estate duly issued a will conveying the property for $62,000 split into the fractional interests of the various next-of-kin heirs.146 These fractional interests split up the property badly; for example, the share interest issued to Trustee C. Flemming Sandt was three fiftieths (3/50) of the whole,147 while transactions in 1913 involved further divided ownership of the property with the purchase of one one-hundredth share (1/100) interests for $800 – one of these to be subdivided even further among various estate heirs!148

1870)(Emma and “Lizzie” Fleming at 65 North 4th Street; see 1870 Census, Series M593, Roll 1382, p.26A (Easton)(adjacent entries for John Flemming and Elizabeth Flemming).

130 Article, “The New Numbers”, EASTON DAILY FREE PRESS, Friday, 21 Nov. 1873, p.3. 131 Webb Bros. & Co., Webb’s Easton and Phillipsburg Directory 1875-6 49 (M.J. Riegel

1875). 132 J.H. Lant, Easton, [Etc,] Directory for 1877 74 (M.J. Riegel 1877). 133 Codicil dated 3 April 1869 to Will of Christian Fleming, document in Estate of Christian

Flemming, File No. 8346 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court Archives).134 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 First

1937 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

135 See, e.g., Nancy J. Sanquist, Easton Architectural and Historical Survey Manual (Office of Preservation, City Hall August 1978)(Second Empire style with Mansard roof “became most popular in America in the late 1860’s and the early 1870’s”); see also John Milnes Baker, American House Styles A Concise Guide 64 (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 17 Apr. 1994)(Second Empire style with Mansard roof as the key feature popular from 1860 and “superseded” after 1876); Jackie Craven, “The Mansard Roof and the Second Empire Style”, About.com, Architecture, architecture.about.com/library/weekly/aa100900b.htm, architecture.about.com/od/housestyles/ss/Second-Empire-Buildings_5.htm (accessed 21 May 2011)(General Grant style).

140 Webb’s Easton and Phillipsburg Directory 1875-6 37 (Web Bros. & Co. 1875)(Daniel W. Conklin of Broadwell, Conklin & Co. at 300 Northampton Strert, house at 237 Spring Garden Street); J.H. Lant, Easton [Etc,] Directory for 1877 57, 63 (M.J. Riegel 1877)(Daniel W. Conklin of Broadwell, Conklin & Co. at corner of Northampton Street and Centre Square).

141 See Rev. Uzal W. Condit, The History of Easton, Penn’a 432, 474, 502 (George W. West 1885 / 1889)(p.432 showing a picture of West Northampton Street showing “West the Printer” upstairs and a “Grocer” at ground level; p.474 a street listing for 1889 confirming West upstairs, and listing D.W. Conklin & Co., Grocer at the corner; p.502 title page apparently for Part 1 of a serialized version of the book, showing George W. West, the printer, at the SW corner of Centre Square). Accord, J.H. Lant, Easton [Etc.] Directory for 1883-4 31 (1883)(Conklin & Co., grocers at 300 Northampton Street, headed by D.W. Conklin); Harvey C. Morgenstern, This I Remember unnumbered p.24 (Easton: The Express).

142 Harvey C. Morgenstern, This I Remember unnumbered p.23 (Easton: The Express [no date]); Georgie Lake Chidsey, “And This I Remember”, in Fortnightly Club, II Papers on Easton History 240, at 268 (paper read 2 Mar. 1951)(“Danny Conklin’s big grocery store at Northampton and the Square uncovered barrels of mackerel, molasses, fat pickels and many other delicacies displayed on a platform on the pavement”).

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Meanwhile, the Farr Brothers shoe store of Allentown opened in the building as a tenant in approximately 1910, presumably as lease tenants.149 The Farr’s shoe store had begun in Allentown in 1862; its slogan eventually became “Better shoes by Farr”.150 In 1923, Harvey Farr purchased the Flemming Building in Easton from the collection of heirs and successors, for $160,000.151 Harvey and his brother, Jacob, plus one other partner, were the shoe store business proprietors. In Easton, their 300 Northampton Street address – formerly known as the Flemming Building (as discussed above) – had become known as the Farr Building.152 A photo in 1937 showed a 3½ story building with three window bays above its Northampton Street entrance,153 extended a full eight window bays154 down the face of Centre Square to dominate the SW quadrant.155 In keeping with the building’s “Second Empire” style Mansard roof (discussed earlier), it featured a typical, fully bracketed roof cornice, and slightly bowed, projecting window cornices over every second- and third-story window.156 By the 1940s, the first floor along Centre Square had been fitted out with a continuous series of picture windows to showcase store displays, below a slightly projecting cornice.157

Next to the Farr Building, nestled in the corner western face of the SW quadrant of Centre Square, was the Centre Square Arcade building, with an address of 29 Centre Square. This building housed a number of tenants, including the National Cash Register Company. Directory entries were also made for 30 Centre Square (the office of Mrs. Annie E. Jones, news directory) and 31 Centre Square (the Jones Pharmacy).158 A picture of the SW quadrant of Centre Square dated to 1937 shows this Centre Square Arcade building to have been a three-story, Italianate style, brick structure separated slightly by air passages (bakers alleys, or courts) from the Farr Building on one side, and from a taller modern structure in the corner of the Square (on what was once Lot No.130, next to the Jones Building).159

This Centre Square Arcade building was the old Easton Town Hall (as previously discussed – more of which, later on!).160

143 Article, “Farr’s Plans Reopening After Devastating Fire Loss”, EASTON EXPRESS, Mon., 6 May 1957, p.1, cols.1-2, p.11, cols.4-5.

144 Article, “Farr’s Plans Reopening After Devastating Fire Loss”, EASTON EXPRESS, Mon., 6 May 1957, p.1, cols.1-2, p.11, cols.4-5.

145 Compare Deed, C. Flemming Sandt, Trustee for the Sale of Real Estate of Christian Flemming, to Frank Keiger, et al., B39 317 (26 May 1910)(Elizabeth Flemming died 27 Nov. 1908) with Deed, Gershom G. Blake, Clerk of Orphan’s Court of Northampton County, to C. Flemming Sandt, B39 325 (23 May 1910)(Elizabeth Flemming died 25 Nov. 1909).

146 Compare Deed, C. Flemming Sandt, Trustee for the Sale of Real Estate of Christian Flemming, to Frank Keiger, et al., B39 317 (26 May 1910); see also First and Final Account, Estate of Christian Flemming, File No. 8346 (Northampton County Orphan’s Court will proven 10 Aug. 1869)(sale of Flemming Building for $62,000).

147 Deed, Gershom G. Blake, Clerk of Orphan’s Court of Northampton County, to C. Flemming Sandt, B39 325 (23 May 1910).

148 Deed, Lester N. Shellenberger to Frank Keiper, B38 402 (5 Feb. 1913) (sale price $800 for 1/100 share interest); Deed, Lester N. Shellenberger to George F. (Mary Ann) Keiper, et al. (heirs of Mary Ann Keiper), B38 405 (5 Feb. 1913)(sale price $800 for 1/100 share interest).

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The Center Square Arcade building should be distinguished from the Circle Arcade Market, which was located at the opposite corner of Centre Square.161

After Harvey Farr died in 1940, ownership of the Farr Building was transferred into company name.162 Farr’s Shoes was still successfully in business in Centre Square in 1957, when a “devastating fire” originating in the basement closed it temporarily.163 It reopened a year later, heralded by eight pages of advertisements and congratulatory greetings in the local newspaper.164 The store facade was completely remodeled into a modernistic box motif, three stories high, with an awning (apparently canvas) over the Centre Square first floor, and adding a neon sign “FARRS” projecting from the second and third stories over the Northampton Street sidewalk at the corner.165

161 See WalkingEaston entry for 62 Centre Square. 162 Deed, Allentown National Bank, Trustee under the Will of Harvey H. Farr, to Farr Bros.

Co., A76 397 (13 Apr. 1945)(sale price $120,000; Harvey H. Farr had died on 17 Feb. 1940). 163 Article, “Farr’s Plans Reopening After Devastating Fire Loss”, EASTON EXPRESS, Mon.,

6 May 1957, p.1, cols.1-2, p.11, cols.4-5. 164 Advertisements, EASTON EXPRESS, Tues., 15 Apr. 1958, pp.33-40 (open house

Wednesday evening when no goods to be sold, store open Thursday). 165 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 1959

Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016). 149 Compare Frank Whelan, “Former Allentown shoe store’s history goes back Farr to

1862”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 16 Mar. 2005, p. B-8 (Easton branch opened 1910) with Article, “Farr’s Plans Reopening After Devastating Fire Loss”, EASTON EXPRESS, Mon., 6 May 1957, p.1, cols.1-2, p.11, cols.4-5 (opened in Easton about 1916).

See also Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., Easton Remembered 77, 127 (Buscemi Enterprises 2007); Photo of Centre Square SW corner, in Marx Room (Easton Area Public Library) photo file (showing Farr’s and Orr’s); Harvey C. Morgenstern, This I Remember unnumbered p.23 (Easton: The Express [no date])(Dan Conklin’s grocery located where Farr’s shoe store was later).

150 Frank Whelan, “Former Allentown shoe store’s history goes back Farr to 1862”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 16 Mar. 2005, p. B-8.

151 Deed, Elizabeth Flemming Meacham, et al., to Harvey H. Farr, G50 460 (21 Mar. 19223).

152 West’s Easton Pa. and Phillipsburg, N.J. Directory 227, 639 (R.L. Polk & Co. of Philadelphia 1930).

153 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 Second 1937 Slide & 1945 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

154 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 1945 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

155 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 First 1937 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

156 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 1945 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

157 Ray Morris, Swingin’ Easton Pa 1940s, 33 Seconds, https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=ymyy-t-999&p=U-

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The Farr’s Shoes store in Easton fell upon hard times in the 1970s and ‘80s, like many other retail stores in the area.166 Lawrence Tersigni III and his wife, purchased the building in September of 1987,167 and Farr’s Shoes apparently discontinued operations in Centre Square at about that time.168 The Tersignis quickly resold the property to real estate speculator George Switlyk’s “Switlyk Properties” for $225,000,169 as part of a massive redevelopment initiative. Switlyk “held Easton’s revitalization hopes in his hands”,170 but in fact only used his Easton properties as collateral to buy other buildings elsewhere.171 His Easton projects were never completed, and Switlyk later spent time in federal prison for bank fraud.172 The Farr Building was seized by the Sheriff in 1990, and sold to Merchants Bank, N.A. (of Allentown).173 It was not occupied by any tenants at that time.174

Two years later, the Farr Building was purchased by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 367 for $65,000. The Union moved its Easton offices into the building.175 Two years after that (in 1994), the Union sold the property to the City of Easton, for incorporation into the Two Rivers Landing project (see below).176

Orr’s

Meanwhile, by 1879, the narrow building inherited by Mary Ann Keiper (with the address of 306 Northampton Street) was apparently leased to Matthew Orr, for his dry goods store177 (run subsequently with his partner John Johnson) and later, for his residence as well. By 1883, Peter Miller’s old house provided leased space for Freeman’s clothing store, at 310 Northampton Street. At this time, Elizabeth Flemming continued to live at No.312, presumably occupying an upper floor with a separate entrance from the store beneath.178

The Orr dry goods store had been started after Luke and Joseph Orr immigrated from Ireland in 1868, at a location somewhere East of Centre Square. The Orrs built a special reputation for “fine calicos and ginghams.” Their younger brother, Matthew, and brother-in-law John Johnson, had bought out the original two Orr Brothers, and re-opened the store next to the Flemming Building.179 The store expanded over time, eventually incorporating Peter Miller’s old house to occupy Nos.306 through 312 Northampton Street, although other tenants continued to occupy suites in the building well into the 20th Century.180

Tube+Easton+history#id=6&vid=01272fc2b96d2a85d1da7118ae8e671b&action=view (2015). 158 West’s Easton Pa. and Phillipsburg, N.J. Directory 639 (R.L. Polk & Co. of Philadelphia

1930).159 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 First

1937 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

160 Deed, City of Easton to William J. Kuebler, Charles E. Kuebler, and Frank A. Kuebler, partners, D33 263 (15 Jan. 1904)(sale price $18,750 for rectangle measuring 22’ X 48’ beginning 80’ from the corner of Centre Square with Northampton Street).

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Mary Ann Keiper (the landlord) died in 1879, leaving her estate essentially to her husband, “Christian B. Keiper M.D.”, in trust for himself for life and then to her three children “George, Frank and Lizzie”.181 [Under the terms of Christian Flemming’s will, her three children inherited the property on Northampton Street in Easton immediately upon Mrs. Keiper’s death, as previously discussed.] Notwithstanding the theoretical independence of this Easton property from their father, the Keiper children did not in fact sell it during their father’s lifetime. Dr. Keiper died in 1890,182 and thereafter (between 1892 and 1898) the three Keiper children sold their interests in this property to Mary Ann’s sister, Elizabeth Flemming, each receiving $5,500 for their one-third share.183 Elizabeth Flemming – who had originally inherited the Flemming Building at the corner with Centre Square from her father – completed a consolidation of her father’s Center Square property by also purchasing Peter Miller’s old house and property from the heirs and next of kin of her other sister, Emma, in 1906.184 [Emma had married Samuel Stem Apple to become Emma F. Apple, and died in 1905].185 Elizabeth Flemming also acquired part of the “court” behind the Flemming Building, and an additional brick building on Bank Street behind the Easton National Bank.186 Elizabeth died in approximately 1908, leaving Dr. Samuel S. Appel (her sister Emma’s husband) as the executor of her estate. He sold Peter Miller’s old house, plus the court behind it and the brick building on Bank Street, to the Easton National Bank on 28 October 1909 for $86,750.187 On the same day, he sold the front of the property that Elizabeth’s sister Mary Ann Keiper had originally inherited, in a public sale to the highest bidder: E. Stanley Bixler. The sale price for Bixler’s parcel was $31,250.188

E. Stanley Bixler was the son of Easton Merchant Floyd Bixler. In 1907, he (or his father) had purchased the Orr’s dry goods store business from Matthew Orr’s widow.189 Stanley Bixler then proceeded to run the business as President of the store firm,190 later as Chairman of the Board of business corporation.191 It was Stanley Bixler who “engineered Orr’s growth into a full-fledged department store and its subsequent expansion.”192 In 1910, he got the Easton National Bank to sell him the front part of the parcel that had originally been Emma Flemming Apple’s inheritance, paying $48,000 for it.193 In 1928, he got the Bank to sell him part of the court leading in from Centre Square,194 and the brick building on Bank Street behind the Bank (purchased from the publishing company that had acquired it from the Bank).195 In 1939, he and his brother Fordham (see below) bought the Arcade Building (formerly the Easton Town Hall) on Centre Square, and its attached property running back into the corner of the Square and down all the way to Pine Street.196 Then, in 1948, he put all the real estate for the Orr’s store into a realty corporation,197 which later distributed to the property to the Orr’s Partners firm.198

Another of Floyd Bixler’s sons, S. Fordham Bixler, became Orr’s Vice President under his brother,199 and subsequently also became the company’s Chairman of the Board.200 Orr’s Department Store eventually included Nos.306-12 Northampton Street, and the “Orr’s Clock” was located on the pavement out front.201 It also had a rear entrance from 28 Centre Square,202 evidently from the court at the back of the Farr Building. In 1937, the Orr’s store facade showed an Italianate style building with an end-bracketed roof cornice and projecting window cornices, five window bays wide along Northampton Street, although with a more modern applied finish around its door on the first floor entrance.203 By 1945, the entire Orr’s store facade had been remodeled into a

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plain, nearly flat modern face along Northampton Street, with a sans serif “ORR’S” logo above the door.204 By 1959, the old windows had been completely covered over by a modernistic white facade (apparently concrete) with “Orr’s of Easton” spread across it, down to a projecting modernistic awning over the front door.205

Business conditions in Easton ceased to be attractive for department stores in later decades. The Orr’s Department Store in Easton closed on 2 February 1991, and Orr’s corporate offices were moved to Bethlehem.206 The “Orr’s” clock was sold back to Bixler’s Jewelers, now located in Centre Square.207 By 1992, the Orr’s Department Store building at 306 Northampton Street was vacant.208

206 Thomas, “’It won’t be downtown’ when Orr’s closes tomorrow”, supra. 207 Jennifer Heebner, “Preserving History, How Heirs to the 217-Year-Old Bixler’s Jewelers

Keep the Past Alive”, Jewelers Circular Keystone (trade publication) 106, at 107-08 (Oct. 2002). 208 Polk’s Easton and Phillipsburg City Directory 1992 Street and Avenue Guide 151

(R.L.Polk & Co., Inc. 1992)(306 Northampton Street vacant, “not verified”). 166 Frank Whelan, “Former Allentown shoe store’s history goes back Farr to 1862”,

MORNING CALL, Wed., 16 Mar. 2005, p. B-8. 167 Deed, Farr Bros. Co. to Lawrence (Elizabeth Dawn) Tersigni, III, 733 726 (3 Sept. 1987)

(300 Northampton Street, property measuring 30’ on Northampton Street X 80’ deep along Centre Square down to the property of W.J. Kueblers (that had formerly belonged to the City of Easton)); see Article, “Bank joins foreclosures on developer”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 9 May 1990, p.B-7.

168 Although Farr Shoes was listed in the 1987 directory, it was no longer listed in the next available (1989) Easton City Directory. Compare Polk’s Easton and Phillipsburg City Directory 1987 185 (R.L.Polk & Co., Inc. 1987) with Polk’s Easton and Phillipsburg City Directory 1989 172, St. & Ave. Guide 240 (R.L.Polk & Co., Inc. 1989)(Farr Building vacant, no listing for Farr Shoes).

169 Deed, Lawrence (Elizabeth Dawn) Tersigni, III to Switlyk Properties, 751 1080 (14 July 1988)(sale price $225,000); see Jack Kraft, “Switlyk Adds to Easton Holdings Developer to Purchase Farr’s Shoes Building”, MORNING CALL, Fri., 3 June 1988, p.B-8; see Article, “Bank joins foreclosures on developer”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 9 May 1990, p.B-7.

170 Joe Nixon, “Switlyk Pleads Guilty to Fraud * Former Easton Developer Admits in Federal Court that He Was Behind Scheme Involving a $150,000 Business Loan”, MORNING CALL, 19 Aug. 1998, p.B-1; Dennis Zehner and Lauri Rice-Maue, “Real Estate Magnate Will Spend One Year in Jail * Switlyk, Who Owned Easton Properties, Stole $150,000 from N.J. Bank”, MORNING CALL, 15 Dec. 1998, p.B-4.

171 Madeleine Mathias, “Dreamers Won with Two Rivers Mayor Goldsmith: Landing Will Lead Downtown Revival”, MORNING CALL, 14 July 1996, p.S-03.

172 Tracy Jordan, “Pomeroy Lofts not abandoned, Pektor says ** Developer insists the condo and brew pub project awaits steel to start construction”, MORNING CALL, 18 July 2007, p.B-7A; Dennis Zehner and Lauri Rice-Maue, “Real Estate Magnate Will Spend One Year in Jail * Switlyk, Who Owned Easton Properties, Stole $150,000 from N.J. Bank”, MORNING CALL, 15 Dec. 1998, p.B-4; see also Article, “Bank buys landmark Easton building”, MORNING CALL, Thurs., 14 July 1994, p.B-13.

See generally separate www.WalkingEaston.com entry for 322 Northampton Street, for a fuller discussion of the George Switlyk revitalization scheme.

173 Deed Poll, Sheriff of Northampton County, for Switlyk Properties, to Merchants Bank, N.A., 811 634 (11 Sept. 1990)(Parcel ID L9SE2A–17–3).

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Two Rivers Landing

In 1995,209 both the Orr’s Department Store and Farr’s shoe store buildings were replaced by the Two Rivers Landing building.210 Money for the project was supplied by a combination of $1 million from federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant funds, $2.85 million from a Pennsylvania governor’s Capital Assistance grant, other government grants, and private investment.211 In 1994, the City of Easton’s Redevelopment Authority had acquired the Orr’s department store building property212 and the Farr (formerly, Flemming) Building.213 The

174 Polk’s Easton and Phillipsburg City Directory 1990 Street & Avenue Guide 233 (R.L.Polk & Co., Inc. 1990).

175 Deed, Merchants Bank, N.A. to IBEW Local 367 Home Association, Inc., 857 148 (11 Mar. 1992)(actual consideration $65,000); accord, Joe Nixon, “City secures option to buy Farr’s Building”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 12 Jan. 1994, p.B-1; Article, “Last week in the Valley”, Sun., 8 Mar. 1992, p.B-3.

176 Deed, IBEW Local 367 Home Association, Inc. to Redevelopment Authority of Easton, 1994-6-33865 (26 May 1994)(sale price $150,000); accord, Joe Nixon, “City secures option to buy Farr’s Building”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 12 Jan. 1994, p.B-1; Madeleine Mathias, “Easton has high hopes for visitors center”, MORNING CALL, Thurs., 25 Nov. 1993, p.B-1.

177 J.H. Lant, Easton, [Etc,] Directory for 1879 125 (M.J. Riegel 1879)(Matthew Orr & Co., dry goods, 306 Northampton Street, home at 325 Spring Garden Street).

178 George W. West, West’s Guide to Easton, [Etc.] for 1883-4 46, 49, 109 (West & Everett, Job Printers 1883)(Matthew Orr residence at No.308, Orr & Johnson dry goods at No.306, while J.&W. Freeman’s merchant tailor shop was at No.310 and Miss Elizabeth Flemming lived at No.312 Northampton Street). See also Rev. Uzal W. Condit, The History of Easton, Penn’a 474 (George W. West 1885 / 1889)(1889 street lineup, but without showing address numbers).

179 Michael J. Thomas, “’It won’t be downtown’ when Orr’s closes tomorrow”, MORNING CALL, Friday, 1 Feb. 1991, p.B-1; accord, J.H. Lant, Easton, [Etc,] Directory for 1879 125 (M.J. Riegel 1879)(Matthew Orr & Co., dry goods, 306 Northampton Street, home at 325 Spring Garden Street). Note that this residential address would have been one door East of the Slough House currently located at 327 Spring Garden Street, and now part of the Sovereign Bank parking lot. See separate www.WalkingEaston.com entries for Slough House at 327 Spring Garden Street and Sovereign Bank Building at 100 North 3rd Street.

180 See West’s Easton Pa. and Phillipsburg, N.J. Directory 680 (R.L. Polk & Co. of Philadelphia 1930)(The Orr Co. department store at 306-12 Northampton Street; 308 Northampton Street various apartments occupied by Burwell’s Beauty Parlor, Tyrus E. Swan physician, etc.).

181 Will of Mary A. Keiper, Will Record vol.3 at 698-701 (Tippecanoe County Indiana, will dated 11 Apr. 1879, proven in Northampton County Pennsylvania 6 June 1879)(available on ancestry.com).

See also Kramer Publishing and Advertising Co. (compiler & publisher), City Directory of LaFayette, Ind. 1885–1886 297 (LaFayette: Kramer Publishing and Advertising Co. 1885)(Christian B. Keiper, M.D., “physician and surgeon”, at 86 South Fifth Street in Lafayette, Indiana).

182 Will of Christian B. Keiper, Will Record No.1 at 352-54 (Monoma County Iowa, will dated 21 Mar. 1890, proven in Teppecanoe County Indiana Circuit Court 23 Apr. 1890)(available on ancestry.com). This will disposed of property to Keiper’s three children, George, Frank and

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project was intended as the centerpiece of one of the attempted modernizations of downtown Easton. It is the home to the Crayola® Factory exhibit (opened 16 July 1996), which has hosted some 2.5 million visitors since it was opened.214 Until 2012, the building also housed the downtown exhibits of the National Canal Museum for 15 years. As a result of a desire to expand Crayola’s space, the National Canal Museum was forced to leave its downtown premises. It moved to its Emrick Center building in Hugh Moore Park.215

Elizabeth. 183 Deed, George F. (Mary A.) Keiper to Elizabeth Flemming, C23 592 (2 May 1892)(sale

price $5,500 for 1/3 interest in property with 18 feet of frontage on Northampton Street X 80’ deep); Deed, Frank Keiper to Elizabeth Flemming, F23 118 (5 Sept. 1892)(sale price $5,500 for 1/3 interest); Deed, Elizabeth Flemming Keiper to Elizabeth Flemming, F28 679 (1 Sept. 1898)(sale price $5,500 for 1/3 interest).

184 Deed, C. Flemming (Anne) Sandt, et al. (heirs and next of kin of Emma F. Apple, deceased intestate) to Elizabeth Flemming, D35 247 (17 Jan. 1906)(sale price $52,617.34 for property with 24 feet of frontage on Northampton Street X 114’ 4¾” deep to a 9-foot court, lying next to property of the Easton National Bank).

185 Find A Grave Memorial # 136609314, “Emma Frances Flemming Apple”, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=136609314&ref=acom (Easton Cemetery Section H Plots 48-55, recorded 29 Sept. 2014)(born 14 Aug. 1840 to Christian Gottfried and Mary Ann Frotz Flemming, married Samuel Stem Apple, died 9 Oct. 1905, siblings listed).

186 See Deed, Dr. Samuel S. Apple, Executor of the Will of Elizabeth Flemming, to Easton National Bank, G38 26 (28 Oct. 1909)(among the parcels sold).

187 Deed, Dr. Samuel S. Appel, Executor of the Will of Elizabeth Flemming, to Easton National Bank, G38 26 (28 Oct. 1909)($86,750 for property with 24’ frontage on Northampton Street X 240’ deep, plus the court behind and a brick building on Bank Street behind the Bank).

188 Deed, Dr. Samuel S. Appel, Executor of the Will of Elizabeth Flemming, to E. Stanley Bixler, F38 134 (28 Oct. 1909)(public sale for $31,250 for property with 18’ on Northampton Street X 80’ deep).

189 See Thomas, “’It won’t be downtown’ when Orr’s closes tomorrow”, supra (Stanley Bixler); Frank Whelan, “A Grand Emporium Owen Rice Opened Mercantile in 1821”, MORNING CALL, 14 Feb. 1992, p.M-3 (Floyd Bixler). See generally separate entry on www.WalkingEaston.com for the Floyd Bixler Mansion at 206 Spring Garden Street (Bixler acquired Orr’s in 1907).

190 See Polk’s Easton and Phillipsburg City Directory 1960 247 (R.L.Polk & Co., Inc. 1960)(Orr’s Department Store, E Stanley Bixler, President, and S. Fordham Bixler, Vice President).

191 Frank Whelan, “A Grand Emporium Owen Rice Opened Mercantile in 1821”, MORNING CALL, 14 Feb. 1992, p.M-3.

192 Thomas, “’It won’t be downtown’ when Orr’s closes tomorrow”, supra. 193 Deed, Easton National Bank to E. Stanley Bixler, B39 10 (1 Apr. 1910)(sale price

$48,000 for brick building on property with 24’ frontage on Northampton Street, starting 48’ from Bank Street X 114’ 4¾” deep).

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194 Deed, Easton National Bank to E. Stanley Bixler, C59 312 (25 Apr. 1928)($5,000 for part of court leading to Centre Square).

195 Deed, Easton National Bank to Free Press Publishing Company, A39 174 (19 Jan. 1910)(sale price $20,000 for brick building on Bank Street behind the Easton National Bank); Deed, Free Press Publishing Company to Easton Publishing Company, A59 341 (29 Nov. 1927); Deed, Easton Publishing Company to E. Stanley Bixler, C59 310 (11 May 1928)(sale price $70,000).

196 Deed, Alice Kuebler (widow) and Karl F. (Mildred) Kuebler to E. Stanley Bixler and S. Fordham Bixler, E70 48 (30 Dec. 1939)(sale price $65,000 for property starting along Centre Square 80’ from Northampton Street, and running back 160’ to Pine Street). This deed details the various intra-family conveyances, wills and estate transactions that brought the property’s title to these Kuebler Family heirs. There was one brief (4-month) sojourn apparently outside the family, possible engineered to faciliate changing the Kuebler partners who were operating it. Deed, William J. (Alice) Kurbler, Charles E. Kuebler, and Frank A. Kuebler to John W. Mann, C62 90 (20 Feb. 1930)(sale price $19,000); Deed, John W. (Emma L.) Mann to Charles E. Kuebler and Frank A. Kuebler (partners), D62 108 (2 July 1930).

197 Deed, E. Stanley (Sarah P.) Bixler to Bixler Realty, Inc., C83 123 (27 Feb. 1948). 198 Deed, Bixler Realty, Inc. to Orr’s Partners, 659 904 (29 Oct. 1983).199 See Polk’s Easton and Phillipsburg City Directory 1960 247 (R.L.Polk & Co., Inc. 1960)

(Orr’s Department Store, E Stanley Bixler, President, and S. Fordham Bixler, Vice President). 200 Obituary, “S. Fordham Bixler, 88, Chairman of Orr’s Stores”, MORNING CALL, 14 Aug.

1991, p.B.10. 201 Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., Easton Remembered 65 (Buscemi Enterprises 2007).

Regarding “Orr’s Clock”, now located in Centre Square as “Bixler’s Clock”, see generally separate entry on www.WalkingEaston.com for the Jones Building at 24 Centre Square.

The clock is clearly visible in front of the Orr’s store in a 1959 photo. Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 1959 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

202 Polk’s Easton and Phillipsburg City Directory 1989 St. & Ave. Guide 84 (R.L.Polk & Co., Inc. 1989).

203 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 Second 1937 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

204 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 1945 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016). This photo appears to have been reproduced in Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., Easton Remembered 65 (Buscemi Enterprises 2007)(picture dated to 1941 and caption).

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205 Ray Morris, Easton Pa Photo History of Centre Square (The Circle) from 1865 1959 Slide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUB4b7tGLbY (You Tube, published 15 Feb. 2016).

209 Easton Area Community Center’s Easton History Club 2005-2006 (under direction of Leonard Buscemi, Sr.), A Chronological History of Easton, Pa. & Its Citizens 1700 – Present 33 (2006).

210 Leonard S. Buscemi, Sr., Easton Remembered 65, 77, 127 (Buscemi Enterprises 2007); Photo of Centre Square SW corner, in Marx Room (Easton Area Public Library) photo file (showing Farr’s and Orr’s); William Peterson, Eagle Scout Project: Historic Guide of Easton, supra at Site #5; see Interview with Lance Metz, Historian of the National Canal Museum (21 Sept. 2006).

211 See Madeleine Mathias, “Mayor defies fear, unveils Crayola Center”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 21 June 1995, p.B-1 ($8 million project overall); Joe Nixon, “City secures option to buy Farr’s Building”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 12 Jan. 1994, p.B-1 ($9.5 million project overall).

212 Deed, Orr’s Partners to Redevelopment Authority of Easton, Pennsylvania, 1994-6-033855 (26 May 1994)(sale price $150,000 for four parcels of real estate).

213 Joe Nixon, “City secures option to buy Farr’s Building”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 12 Jan. 1994, p.B-1; Madeleine Mathias, “Easton has high hopes for visitors center”, MORNING CALL, Thurs., 25 Nov. 1993, p.B-1.

214 Crayola Factory website, www.crayola.com/factory/index.cfm?action=plan.about (accessed 9 Sept. 2006); see Easton Area Community Center’s Easton History Club 2005-2006 (under direction of Leonard Buscemi, Sr.), A Chronological History of Easton, Pa. & Its Citizens 1700 – Present 33 (2006)(opened 16 July 1996); Article, “4 Asked for Two Rivers designs”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 6 Apr. 1994, p.B-4; Article, “20 submit proposals to design the Two Rivers Landing project”, MORNING CALL, Tues., 29 Mar. 1994, p.B-5; Madeleine Mathias, “Mayor defies fear, unveils Crayola Center”, MORNING CALL, Wed., 21 June 1995, p.B-1.

215 Joseph P. Owens (EXPRESS-TIMES), “National Canal Museum to leave Downtown Easton after 15 years”, EASTON PATCH, http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2012/01/national_canal_museum_to_leave.html (1 Jan. 2012, updated 10:01 PM).

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